Sheboygan South student tests positive for tuberculosis

Scroll through the video slideshow to more photos, and a news conference on the topic

SHEBOYGAN - A school is on alert after a student tests positive for tuberculosis. Sheboygan school district officials are making sure all South High School parents know their child could be at risk for getting the contagious disease. TB is a disease that can be transferred through coughing, sneezing, or talking to someone who has the disease, but you have to get pretty close to the sick person to catch it.

“They just said there’s been a confirmed case of TB and if this was the first you’re hearing about it, your child wasn’t in close contact with your child. They are taking all the precautions and sending a letter home,” said parent Yvonne Klein.

“We are initially looking through the close circle of people in her classroom to determine if any of them have developed signs,” said Dr. Jeffery Britton of Aurora Sheboygan Clinic.

The district explains there are 24 kids in the students’ classroom, and they have called all of those families to ask them to get tested.

“What’s unusual in this situation is it’s effecting a high school where there are lots of students,” said Jean Beinemann from the Sheboygan County Health and Human Services Department.

School officials say the student hasn’t been back to school since she tested positive. She has siblings who go to another Sheboygan school, but officials say they aren’t worried about those students getting the disease. But some students say they’ll get tested just in case.

“Yeah, I probably will,” said Gabi Fischer.

But some parents say they aren’t worried enough to get their kids tested. “I don’t think so, I’m not really that concerned,” said parent Gina Marquardt.

This is the first case of TB in Sheboygan County this year, but they usually see about three cases a year.

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